To the Editor:

Bob Pereira and Paul Sweany (who recently applied for John Day’s open council seat) have filed complaints with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission against five of our community residents:

• Former John Day City Councilor Shannon Adair (Case No. 22-179 EHM).

• Parks and recreation district board member Russ Young (Case No. 22-206 ESM).

• Parks and recreation district board Chair Zach Williams (Case No. 22-210 ESM).

• Grant County Digital Board Chair Josh Walker (Case No. 22-275 EHM).

• Former John Day City Manager Nick Green (Case No. 22-306 ESM).

Additional complaints alleging wrongdoing against John Day and its employees were filed for nearly every city project. These so-called conservatives and their friends have complained to at least six state and federal agencies: the Oregon Department of State Lands, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division and the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board, to name a few.

What was the result?

Project delays and cost increases. That’s it. None of these people have been found guilty of anything.

Why don’t the complainers have to pay for abusing the system and filing all these bogus complaints?

This is just political retaliation against people and projects they don’t like.

Once again, the residents of John Day and our taxpayers are the ones who get to pay for it.

Most of the people involved in these efforts aren’t even residents of John Day. One of them is fighting hard not to become a resident!

We can’t stop them from filing complaints, but we can call them out for it. This isn’t what these regulatory agencies are supposed to do.

These folks are just trying to stack seats in the city council to give themselves a majority instead of choosing the obviously qualified candidates.

Pereira should either pay his fair share and voluntarily annex or get out of our politics. He doesn’t live here! Revenge isn’t a good use of our taxpayers’ money.

Lisa Holland

John Day